Anonymous wrote:"I think that most churches, even those that teach less literal versions of the Bible, will teach it in that way to small children. It's going to be pretty challenging to explain to children how these stories really teach the "essence and spirit" of God. I mean, I think they can best understand that by learning those stories now, at this age, and then later questioning them and realizing that they weren't meant to be taken literally, but that understanding probably comes later, around confirmation time or after."

+1

Why do that to kids in the first place? Kids know that fairy tales are "just stories" from the beginning, so why not tell them that about bible stories too? Kids ARE taught to think Santa is real, but eventually are told that he's not. Yet, religion, that is supposed to be so important, is not made more clear to children.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It will also depend on the leader of the Church you may find a Methodist Church [for example] that does and one down the road that doesn't.

And God lets this happen. He allows his representatives here on earth confuse the faithful. It's called free will - a gift from god that is sometimes hard to understand.

No argument from me I was just pointing out that it is impossible to say this denomination or that has a particular view, it is generally much more complex.

I am I guess by nature a Baptist of the more fundamental type. However I have spent time in Presbyterian and Methodist Churches because in that area they were more in line with my beliefs and standards.

I don't understand why people just don't believe what seems right to them instead of looking for a church that is "more in line" with their beliefs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It will also depend on the leader of the Church you may find a Methodist Church [for example] that does and one down the road that doesn't.

And God lets this happen. He allows his representatives here on earth confuse the faithful. It's called free will - a gift from god that is sometimes hard to understand.

No argument from me I was just pointing out that it is impossible to say this denomination or that has a particular view, it is generally much more complex.

I am I guess by nature a Baptist of the more fundamental type. However I have spent time in Presbyterian and Methodist Churches because in that area they were more in line with my beliefs and standards.

Anonymous wrote:It will also depend on the leader of the Church you may find a Methodist Church [for example] that does and one down the road that doesn't.

And God lets this happen. He allows his representatives here on earth confuse the faithful. It's called free will - a gift from god that is sometimes hard to understand.

It will also depend on the leader of the Church you may find a Methodist Church [for example] that does and one down the road that doesn't.

"I think that most churches, even those that teach less literal versions of the Bible, will teach it in that way to small children. It's going to be pretty challenging to explain to children how these stories really teach the "essence and spirit" of God. I mean, I think they can best understand that by learning those stories now, at this age, and then later questioning them and realizing that they weren't meant to be taken literally, but that understanding probably comes later, around confirmation time or after."

+1

To those doing the verbal dueling:

Whether you are Christian, Jew, Muslim, atheist, agnostic, Buddhist, or whatever, there is no reason you cannot treat others as you would have them treat you; treat their beliefs with respect even if they make no sense to you, because for those people, yours probably make no sense to them.

And there may be more of them than of you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there any Religion that takes the bible literally?

Southern Baptists do and some other fundamentalists take the bible literally. But other religions take parts of the Bible literally and parts of it metaphorically. For instance Adam and Eve and the talking donkey are obviously metaphorical. Educated people accept evolution and know donkeys can't talk. However the part about Jesus being the son of god who was crucified, and died and rose from the dead are real -- they are miracles that are the foundation of Christianity

I highly doubt even Southern Baptist take all of the bible literally. Take Exodus 21:15, do Southern Baptist really kill children that strike their parents? There are many many examples of capital punishment in the bible along with many other nasty things.

Anonymous wrote:Is there any Religion that takes the bible literally?

Southern Baptists do and some other fundamentalists take the bible literally. But other religions take parts of the Bible literally and parts of it metaphorically. For instance Adam and Eve and the talking donkey are obviously metaphorical. Educated people accept evolution and know donkeys can't talk. However the part about Jesus being the son of god who was crucified, and died and rose from the dead are real -- they are miracles that are the foundation of Christianity

Is there any Religion that takes the bible literally?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I went to Vacation Bible School with my child this last week. One of the stories that was told was Genesis. Are there denominations which do not take the bible literally? The person teaching the bible lessons talked about what happened on year "day". OK let's say I can accept that each "day" was actually billions of years and that the bible tells stories that are not literally true. Is there a denomination for me?

why bother trying to make the bible make sense in modern terms? It's not a modern document and wasn't written by modern people or for modern people. It can simply be appreciated as an important ancient book - no need to "accept" it as anything else.

Yeah, that whole loving God and loving your neighbor bit is sooooo outdated.

and the part about slavery and women being quiet in church and not wearing garments made form different fabrics and the talking donkey and....

I think the donkey isn't in the bible

http://biblehub.com/numbers/22-28.htm
New American Standard Bible
And the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?"

King James Bible
And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then the LORD opened the donkey's mouth, and she asked Balaam, "What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?"

International Standard Version
That's when the LORD enabled the donkey to speak. She asked Balaam, "What did I do to you that you would beat me in the space of only three footsteps?"

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I went to Vacation Bible School with my child this last week. One of the stories that was told was Genesis. Are there denominations which do not take the bible literally? The person teaching the bible lessons talked about what happened on year "day". OK let's say I can accept that each "day" was actually billions of years and that the bible tells stories that are not literally true. Is there a denomination for me?

why bother trying to make the bible make sense in modern terms? It's not a modern document and wasn't written by modern people or for modern people. It can simply be appreciated as an important ancient book - no need to "accept" it as anything else.

Yeah, that whole loving God and loving your neighbor bit is sooooo outdated.

and the part about slavery and women being quiet in church and not wearing garments made form different fabrics and the talking donkey and....

I think the donkey isn't in the bible

Anonymous wrote:So I went to Vacation Bible School with my child this last week. One of the stories that was told was Genesis. Are there denominations which do not take the bible literally? The person teaching the bible lessons talked about what happened on year "day". OK let's say I can accept that each "day" was actually billions of years and that the bible tells stories that are not literally true. Is there a denomination for me?

Headstart

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I went to Vacation Bible School with my child this last week. One of the stories that was told was Genesis. Are there denominations which do not take the bible literally? The person teaching the bible lessons talked about what happened on year "day". OK let's say I can accept that each "day" was actually billions of years and that the bible tells stories that are not literally true. Is there a denomination for me?

why bother trying to make the bible make sense in modern terms? It's not a modern document and wasn't written by modern people or for modern people. It can simply be appreciated as an important ancient book - no need to "accept" it as anything else.

Yeah, that whole loving God and loving your neighbor bit is sooooo outdated.

and the part about slavery and women being quiet in church and not wearing garments made form different fabrics and the talking donkey and....

Hey, you want to be a jackass to your neighbor and use that to justify it, that's fine with me. I can continue to think you're a jerk.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I went to Vacation Bible School with my child this last week. One of the stories that was told was Genesis. Are there denominations which do not take the bible literally? The person teaching the bible lessons talked about what happened on year "day". OK let's say I can accept that each "day" was actually billions of years and that the bible tells stories that are not literally true. Is there a denomination for me?

why bother trying to make the bible make sense in modern terms? It's not a modern document and wasn't written by modern people or for modern people. It can simply be appreciated as an important ancient book - no need to "accept" it as anything else.

Yeah, that whole loving God and loving your neighbor bit is sooooo outdated.

and the part about slavery and women being quiet in church and not wearing garments made form different fabrics and the talking donkey and....